Daily Meditations
Read today’s Just for Today or A Spiritual Principle A Day readings.
Just for Today
November 13, 2026 |
Not perfect |
| Page 331 |
| "We are not going to be perfect. If we were perfect, we would not be human." |
| Basic Text, p. 31 |
| All of us had expectations about life in recovery. Some of us thought recovery would suddenly make us employable or able to do anything in the world we wanted to do. Or maybe we imagined perfect ease in our interactions with others. When we stop and think, we realize that we expected recovery would make us perfect. We didn't expect to continue making many mistakes. But we do. That's not the addict side of us showing through; that's being human. In Narcotics Anonymous we strive for recovery, not perfection. The only promise we are given is freedom from active addiction. Perfection is not an attainable state for human beings; it's not a realistic goal. What we often seek in perfection is freedom from the discomfort of making mistakes. In return for that freedom from discomfort, we trade our curiosity, our flexibility, and the room to grow. We can consider the trade: Do we want to live the rest of our lives in our well-defined little world, safe but perhaps stifled? Or do we wish to venture out into the unknown, take a risk, and reach for everything life has to offer? |
| Just for Today: I want all that life has to offer me and all that recovery can provide. Today, I will take a risk, try something new, and grow. |
A Spiritual Principle a Day
November 14, 2026 |
Living Lives Worthy of Self-Respect |
| Page 329 |
| "As we clean up our wreckage and live differently, we can respect our actions and find respect for ourselves in the process." |
| Living Clean, Chapter 2, "Connection to Ourselves" |
| Many of the stories we tell about our active addiction depict us thriving on our lack of respectability. Who needs a real job, an education, a place to live, or even a bath? We scoffed at others' boundaries, the rule of law, authority, and institutions. We turned our backs on many of the values we were taught by our families, cultures, and society. Hiding all our fears behind bravado, a lot of us paid a steep price. We jeopardized relationships and careers, if we had any. In many cases, we lost our freedom. Did we lose our self-respect, too? Or did we just have none to start with? When we get clean, the rebel in us may be tempted to dismiss "meeting etiquette" as an attempt to make us conform. At some point, most of us notice that being a rebel in NA doesn't have the payoff it did on the streets. We don't gain credibility by being disrespectful. "I thought I was a badass but came to find out that it was just a front to protect myself," one member shared. Once we start to listen in meetings, get to work on Steps, and are of service, we find ourselves inspired to loosen our grip on our past lifestyles and the version of ourselves in the stories we tell. We want to move on from the past, and our willingness to understand it and grow from it increases. We take actions that build our lives and help other people. We set boundaries for ourselves and respect those held by others. Our dignity and self-respect are being restored, like our sanity. Perhaps for some of us, this is the first time we have experienced these feelings or this state of being in our lives. Not only do we change our actions, but many of us find we have to alter the stories we tell about ourselves. We focus less on being the product of our wreckage and more on being the product of our recovery. We learn that we are worthy of the lives we have now. We begin to live a life that reflects values we can be proud of. That's pretty respectable. And before recovery, who knew we'd ever want that? |
| ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— |
| Today I'll step back for a moment and look at the life I'm building with some pride and self-respect. It's working, and I'm worthy of it. |